Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 2: The Basics of Operation
Bet You Didn’t Know
According to Merriam-Webster,
the term “john boat,” first
appeared about 1905. But
somewhere along the route, it
got shortened to “jon boat,” and
jon boat is the term nearly all
manufacturers use to refer to
boats of this type today. We’ve
followed suit throughout this
book, even though you won’t
find the shortened version in most
dictionaries.
The Least You Need to Know
There’s not much to know about rowing a rowboat—
when facing aft, pull on the port oar grip and the boat
goes to starboard, pull on the starboard oar grip and it
goes to port, push both grips aft and the boat goes
backward. Raising the oars between strokes is the only
motion that takes any practice—beginners frequently
dip water on the backstroke, ruining their rhythm and
sometimes splashing aft passengers.
The tricks of rowing a racing scull, a white-water raft,
or other specialty rowing rigs are less self-evident. It
takes instruction beyond the scope of this book plus
practice to bring out the potential of these rigs. Most
dealers who sell them will provide you with books,
videotapes, or hands-on instruction.
◆ Paddle-power designs should be chosen depending on their intended use.
◆ Learn the basic strokes and you’ll find paddling a canoe simple.
◆ Kayaks are probably the easiest of all boats to propel, but they don’t have the load
capacity or passenger space of canoes.
◆ Understanding a few basic strokes makes propelling and steering both canoes and
kayaks simple.
◆ Rowboats require more muscle power to move than canoes or kayaks but offer
greater stability and space.